Analysis of Sonnet 15:
William Shakespeare 1564 (Stratford-upon-Avon) – 1616 (Stratford-upon-Avon)
When I consider everything that grows
Holds in perfection but a little moment,
That this huge stage presenteth nought but shows
Whereon the stars in secret influence comment;
When I perceive that men as plants increase,
Cheered and check'd even by the selfsame sky,
Vaunt in their youthful sap, at height decrease,
And wear their brave state out of memory;
Then the conceit of this inconstant stay
Sets you most rich in youth before my sight,
Where wasteful Time debateth with Decay
To change your day of youth to sullied night;
And all in war with Time for love of you,
As he takes from you, I engraft you new.
Scheme | ABACDEDFGHGHII |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 110101011 10010101010 11111111 10101010010 1101111101 101101011 1011011101 0111111100 10011111 1111010111 11011101 1111111101 0101111111 111111111 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 606 |
Words | 112 |
Sentences | 2 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 14 |
Lines Amount | 14 |
Letters per line (avg) | 35 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 489 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 110 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 19, 2023
- 33 sec read
- 149 Views
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"Sonnet 15:" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 3 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/41453/sonnet-15%3A>.
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